When a generation of children develop superpowers, the government launches a massive campaign to detain them and suppress their powers - The Darkest Minds Part 3 by Alexandra Bracken This is how the song begins. If you think this sounds prescient, you're absolutely right. The series was first published in 2012, but the idea of children using their own power to effect change is more relevant than ever. "It's like the real world is always catching up to me," Bracken tells Bustle.
Authors are having a great summer: The film based on the first novel in the Darkest Minds series will be released on August 3, starring Mandy Moore, Bradley Whitford and Armand Starring La Steinberg. A few days ago, on July 31, the latest book in the series , The Darkest Legacy, hit bookstores. This explosive series is a thrilling, action-packed ride that's sure to keep viewers on the edge of their seats from start to finish.
The Darkest Minds is set in a dystopian version of America. A mysterious disease kills thousands of children, and those who survive develop powerful superpowers, such as telekinesis and the ability to manipulate memories. The government places most of these children, known as Psi, in refugee camps designed to limit their power. When Ruby was 10 years old, her parents' memories of her were accidentally erased and she was forced into one of the concentration camps. Years later, at the age of 16, she decided she had had enough of the camps and decided to plot an escape from the camps and join a movement to help other Psi children gain freedom. But it soon became apparent that the adults trying to help her were not to be trusted. Ruby and her small band of companions must fight for their freedom and safety.
“This book is entirely mine—I control everything about it except the editor’s opinion,” Bracken said. "But when it came to the movie, they started with my book, and then a lot of people came up with ideas and suggestions. When I saw the movie, I found I was able to enjoy it more because of all the embellishments they added, and I think they did The changes are very clever and simplify the story on screen.”
In Bracken's series, Psi powers are classified by color: Red has the ability to create and control fire; ; Blues have the ability to move objects with their thoughts; Greens have higher intelligence; Oranges - like rubies - have the ability to control thoughts, memories and emotions. A person's abilities are genetically determined, but Bracken thought deeply about how those abilities fit into the character's personality.
The Darkest Minds , by Alexandra Bracken, $8, Amazon
"With Ruby, I knew from the beginning that something was going on that made her fearful of being close to other people, and I built her strength around that," Bracken said. "For Liam, he's a protective guy in every way. I kind of want him to be a blue player so he has defensive capabilities and he can really protect the team. And with Chubbs "I really wanted to explore the power of someone who doesn't necessarily love who they are, and maybe a little bit, doesn't necessarily fear them, but doesn't want to reinforce over and over again that they're different."
"With Ruby, I knew from the beginning that something was going on that made her fearful of being close to other people, and I built her strength around that."
The Darkest Minds was originally inspired by Bracken's experiences as a teenager, where he wanted to make a difference but felt powerless to do so. "When I was a teenager, I felt very powerless. You know, I grew up in a post-September 11 world and I was a freshman in high school when the attacks happened," she said. "During that time, I saw how easily people can be emotionally manipulated during times of extreme fear and how they can agree to do things they wouldn't otherwise do or support things they wouldn't otherwise do. As a teenager I felt I wanted to go out and help people, I wanted to change the world and make a positive difference, but I just didn't have the tools or the means to do that, and I couldn't see a way forward. I think the whole world is trying to push back against young people. Teenagers in particular have the natural energy to push and make change, to question the status quo and the status quo.”
The idea of teenage activism remains a theme in her work. "Dark Legacy" will be released on July 31st. is a standalone novel that takes place five years after the events of the original trilogy. In this book, characters struggle to figure out how their society should move forward. While writing the book, Bracken was thinking about the rise of teen activists, such as survivors of the Parkland shooting and teens involved in the Black Lives Matter movement.
"As a teenager, I felt like I wanted to go out and help people, I wanted to change the world and make a positive difference. But I just didn't have the tools or the means to do that, and I couldn't see a way forward."
"'Legacy' in the book really has to do with the idea that you don't have to accept the world that's handed to you. You can find your own way forward, you can fight for what you believe in, and you don't have to accept the world Telling you that you don’t understand or listen to adults,” she said. "The idea of 'legacy' in the book focuses on [the idea] that they've inherited this world that they don't necessarily have to accept, and that they can find ways to reinvent it."
Another way that Dark Legacy differs from the original trilogy is that it's told from Zu's perspective rather than Ruby's. When readers first meet Zu in The Darkest Minds , she refuses to speak at all due to the trauma she has faced. In "Dark Legacy," she serves as the government's Psi spokesperson.
"'Legacy' in the book really has to do with the idea that you don't have to accept the world that's handed to you. You can find your own way forward, you can fight for what you believe in, and you don't have to accept the world Tell you that you don’t understand, and you don’t have to listen to adults.”
"Zu as the narrator was actually the last piece that came into place that ultimately tied all these many different ideas together. I can't believe I didn't think about it from the beginning because a lot of the focus was on us How we use our voices and what we choose to fight for,” Bracken said. "Zu actively chooses not to speak at the beginning of the first book. She suppresses her voice... so that she can have some small control over her life. Then as the series continues, she realizes that she actually has to Speaking out she has to play an important role in convincing people that kids like them are not bad, they are human beings and should be treated as such."
Dark Legacy by Alexandra Bracken, $13, Amazon (pre-order)
Whether you're new to this exciting series or already a long-time fan, there's sure to be a lot to look forward to. "I always tell readers, when it comes to book-to-movie adaptations, go in with an open mind," Bracken said.
